Make the flu shot a healthy habit

It was the last quarter of 1918. World War I in Europe was about to end and everyone was talking about peace. But just as things were winding down, the influenza of that season had other things in mind. No one expected its onslaught and in two year’s time, it killed an estimated 50 million people, 10 times as many as those killed in WWI.

“We don’t want a repeat of the 1918 flu pandemic — commonly referred to as Spanish flu. This is why ever since we have been on the lookout because flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract that could easily spread from person to person,” said Dr. Cecilia Montalban, president of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

She reminded that anyone could get flu but those who are at high risk of having serious flu complications like those who suffer from diabetes and those with chronic heart or lung condition, including asthma, or people who live with or care for those at high risk for serious complications are most vulnerable.

“A flu could start with high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches,’’ said Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, program manager of the DOH’s National Center for Disease Prevention and Control and a member of the Technical Working Group for Influenza Philippines.

Both common cold and the flu are caused by viruses, that is why many people commonly and incorrectly confuse flu with the common cold. But in general, individuals with the flu get high fever (39°C to 40°C), headache, severe cough, extreme fatigue, aches and pain, Montalban said. 

But unlike a cold, letting a flu run its course could be dangerous as it may lead to more serious problems, including bacterial pneumonia (a significant health threat, particularly for young children and the elderly), ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes.

The single best way to protect oneself against the flu is to get vaccinated each year (antibiotics are not effective against a flu virus although it may be used to treat flu complications such as secondary bacterial infections).

“However, to be most effective, the vaccine needs to be given two to three months before the start of the flu season,” said Suy.

Since flu peaks from July to August (another peak, although minor, is observed between November and December), Suy said the first quarter of the year is most crucial to get vaccination.

A flu vaccine generally contains killed influenza virus that is injected into muscles to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies to the influenza virus.

Suy said the composition of the vaccine changes each year and usually includes three of the most active viruses prevailing in the hemisphere as identified by the World Health Organization.  

The timing of the vaccination resulted from a five-year flu virus surveillance done in 1998 up to 2003 by the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine. The study revealed that flu peaks in July and August in the Philippines, a trend that is also observed in the southern hemisphere.

“From then on, the Philippines followed the southern hemisphere flu season timing of vaccination which begins in February,” said Suy, adding that the timing of vaccine administration is important as this can control the spread of seasonal flu. 

To learn more about flu, log on to www.bakuna.ph or ask a doctor.